I’m hosting Thanksgiving at my house this year…and I’m super excited to share my favorite holiday with the people that I love being around!

As my life has shifted and I’ve started focusing more on living with intention, I noticed that entertaining at home is higher up on my list than I’ve realized before. I love & value my intimate friendships and my long distance best friends know best–I love nothing more than to lay across their beds and just be with them.

Talk.

Look in their closets.

Ride with them to the grocery store.

Immerse myself in their daily routines.

And just be.

All all of the things only best friends can do in the quiet comfort of their relationships.

So once I realized that I’ve really been missing out in that department, this self-proclaimed “Introverted Extrovert” has vowed to do more going forward.

Which brings us to Thursday.

I’m hosting 11 friends for dinner–about 8 for the sit-down portion, and then a few others will join later in the evening for dessert. So I’ve gone back and forth about whether to follow my normal “diet” and do a Paleo meal, or if I should satisfy the masses and go the SAD route (Standard American Diet–clink the link for more details).

BUT…

since I’m hosting I think it only makes sense that I stick to what I would normally do and in the process, introduce some of my friends who are not that familiar with Paleo, to a new way of eating. And the great thing about eating Paleo is…most people don’t even realize they’re doing it until I tell them! There’s not THAT much that’s different from my old Thanksgiving menu, since many dishes can be Paleo-fied. I’m cooking all of the main dishes & desserts, then having my guests fill in with sides and/or apps. For the people who are bringing dishes–no, I’m not asking them to adhere to my lifestyle…I think that would be a little unfair. I want everyone to enjoy themselves, eat well, and be exposed to something that they may not have otherwise had. So based on what the others are bringing, we’ll be doing an 80/20 Paleo Thanksgiving menu.

I’m always so concerned about having enough food for everyone but in this case…I think I’m pretty much covered in that area. I try to make Paleo do-able for my lifestyle (and tastebuds), which means that I’m not extremely hard on myself if I don’t follow it to the letter….I’m okay with leaving some wiggle room for special occasions like holidays. In this case, that Pizookie is so AMAZING you’d never know it’s Paleo, and as an added bonus…I won’t have to worry about killing my stomach in the process of making sweet love to that deliciously decadent, warm cookie & ice cream.

A definitive win-win.

If you have any questions about my menu OR the Paleo lifestyle, feel free to ask me below!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment *

Name*

Email *

Website

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

I'm Dayka...

..and I'm an Atlanta-based Truth-Teller, designer, world traveler & speaker. I'm also an ALCHEMIST, which means I take common things--ideas, experiences, words--and transform them into GOLD. I find the beauty in being exactly who you are. Because it's one thing to help you create a beautiful home...but it's another to help you create a beautiful LIFE.
And I'm here to help you do just that.